Radiator shutter



Feb. 10, 1931. w, H, BUQKE' 1,191,790

RADIATOR SHUTTER Filed July 18, 1928 shutter strnctureshown in I Figure is an enlarged fragmentary view of a motor vehicle.

Patented Feb. 10, 1931 Parent 'oFrlcE' WILLIAM E. BURKE, OF OAKLAND CALIFORNIA mmroa sm r'rna Application fled m 1;, ms. Serial no. mm.

- The invention relates to a shutter device particularly adapted for use in re ulatm the air circulation through'the radiator 0 an internal combustion engine- An object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described in which. the re ulation provided is evenly distributed over t e area of the radiator core.

Another object of the invention is to grovide a device of the character discribe in which a maximum core area is exposed when the shutter vanes are inoperatively disposed.

A further object of the invention is'to pro- 'vide a particularly simpleand effective operating means for the shutter vanes.

The invention .possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will beset forth in the following specification and in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure. 1 is a front view of a radiator nipped with the device, the shutter vanes if the-device being in operative position.

Figure 2 is a s1de central Sectional view through the device and radiator, but with the vanes inoperatively disposed.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the showing of Figure 2 with a shutter vane in operative position.

Figure 4 is a fragments rear view of the igure 3.

of a vane operating means forming part of the device.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken on the curved line 7- 7 Figure 4. 7

As herewith particularly illustrated, the shutter of my invention is applied for reg!-1 'ulatably controlling the flow of air throng a radiator 8 of a type particularly adapted for use with the internal combustion engine closed in acasin 9 having a front face portion 11 provi ed with an opening 12 opposite the radiator core 13 and conforming generally tothe shape thereof. As shown, the radiator casing face 11 is disposed somewhat forwardly of the radiator to pro- The radiator is en vide a space between said face and the 1'81? -diator for the installation of the device of the invention. Essentially, the shutter comprises a series of vanes 14 pivoted for movement about axes radially extending from a common centerand defining a common plane to and from which thedifierent vanes are arranged to be swung about their axes. As particularly shown the vanes are sector-shaped, are piv-. oted about corresponding edges thereof, and cooperate when in coplanar relation with their axes to completely close the casing opening 12. The vanes 14 are arranged for disposal transverse pivotal axes, and w en so disposed are arranged to leave the opening 12 substantially, uno 'structed. Support of the vanes 14. is ejfiected by mountmg them on pivot pins 16, which pins com rise the radial elements of a spider 17 havlnga hub 18. As shown, the ivot pins .16 are threadedly engaged in the ab 18 to extend radially therefrom, the angles be,-' tween adjacent pins being equal as well as the angles made by said pins with the hub axis-in the present instance, the latter. an Ice are right whereby they define the be ore mentioned plane of the pivotal axes of the vanesr The outer ends of the ivot pins 16 so are enga d with an encircling band member 19 where ythey are secured in fixed angular relation and a means is rovided for securing the spider to the radiator casing. In the present embodiment, the member 19 is of angle-iron section with the axially extending flange 21 thereof perforated to receive the free extremities of the pivot pins 16 and the radially extending flange 22 thereof is arranged to he di osed against and secured to the inner-face o the radiator casing ortion 11 around the opening 12 thereof. refer, abl ,and as shown, the member 19 is of such out inethat no part thereof extends inwardly of the edge of the opening 12. The outer ends of the pivot pins 16 are threaded to receive nuts 23 outwardly of the flange 21 of the member 19 whereby the spider may be fixedly mounted in said latter member in a well understood manner with all of the pivot of the plane of their 65' pins tensionally stressed. As shown, the outer hub end is enlarged for concealing the inner vane ends and the points of emergence of the pivot pins from the hub.

The vanes 14, it will now be noted, are formed of generally sector-shaped pieces of sheet material each having one radial edge 24 rolled to provide a bore for rotatably receiving a pin 16. The other edge 26 of each vane is cylindrically curved to fit against and around the edge 24 of an adjacent vane when the first vane is disposed in operative position. The vanes 14, it will be clear, are generally alike, varying only in len h in the event that the member 19 is other t an circular as in the present showing. In this manner, a

- pivotal movement of the vanes forwardly of ator an the plane of the opening 12 which the are arranged to close is positively prevente and a sealed closure of said opening is insured entirely through the cooperation of the vanes..'

Means are provided for controlling the positioning of the vanes 14 whereby the entireset thereof may be simultaneously disposed and held in similar relation to the radiator casing opening 12. Accordingly, and as shown, an operating shaft 27 is provided, said shaft extending axially of the spider hub 18 and transversely through the radiator 13 and bein journalled in both said hub and radiator. laounted on the shaft 27 is an actuator member 28 in the form of a sleeve. Extending inwardly from the bore of the member 28 is a spline 29, and an axial groove is provided in the shaft 27 for the reception of the spline whereby the actuator sleeve and shaft are held for'rotation together and relative axial displacement thereof is at the same time permitted. It will of course, be obvious, that other means might be provided for eifectin the fore oing relation of the actushaft. 7 he shaft 27 is extended in a suitable manner to a position accessible to the operator of the engine and is provided with a lever 32 for facilitating the rotation thereof for variably disposing the actuator.

The actuator 28 is provided with an axially directed annular flange 33 having formed therein a series of radially directed perforations 34, said perforations being equally spaced circumferentially of the flange and equal in number to the vanes 14. Actuator arms 36 are rotatably and slidably engaged in the perforations 34, and said arms are connected at their outer ends to corresponding pointsof the different vanes 14, said points lyirig adjacent the free edges 26 of the vanes and in equally spaced relation from the hub axis. The connection provided between the vanes and actuator arms is in the nature of a universal joint, and is herewith particularly shown as a ball-and-socket joint, sockets 37 being provided on posts 38 extending transversely from the backs of the vanes and balls 39 being mounted at the outer ends of the arms 36. The engagement of the arms 36 in the perforations 34 is such that the radial portions thereof remain in fixed angular relation-to the actuator axis; as shown, said arms are perpendicular to said axis.

It will now be clear that a rotation of the shaft 27 and the actuator 28 is arranged to swing arms 36 to efi'ectlike pivotal movements of the vanes 14 whereby they may be simultaneously and similarly disposed with respect to the casing opening 12 to be controlled by the shutter device now described. Preferably, and as shown, the points of attachment of the actuator arms to thevanes are well out on the vanes whereby the operative range of rotation of the actuator 28 may be minimized between the fully operative and inoperative positions of the vanes, the rota tive movement of the actuator between these two extreme positions preferably not exceeding ninety degrees. The splined engagement of the actuatoi' and shaft, it will be clear, provides for an axial displacement of the actuator to conform to the varying distance of the ball-and-socket joint from the plane of the casing opening 12 whereb adjustment of the vanes is freely permitte without involving any binding of the parts. In this manner, it will now be clear that a. minimum obstruction of the casing opening 12 is provided when the vanes are disposed transversely of the opening 12 and so in ino tive position, and that the disposal o the vanes is arranged to be controlled in a particularly simple and positive manner.

In the drawings, I have shown only one specific form of m invention, and it is to be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms, each being a species of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is the following:

1. Ina shutter for an opening, a spider having a hub and radial arms, shutter varies pivoted on said arms, a shaft journalled in about an axis extending transversely thereof and of the axis of said pin, and means including a ball-and-socket joint connecting an ex-.

tremity of said arm with a point of said vane spaced from the pivotal axis thereof.

3. In a shutter for an opening, a spider for fixed disposal and having radial arms defining a plane, shutter vanes pivoted to said arms for movement about the axes thereof, a shaft coaxial with and revolubly supported in said hub, an actuator member carried on said shaft for rotation therewith and having radial arms defining a plane parallel to the plane of said spider arms, means connecting each of said arms with one of said vanes whereby an angular displacement of said actuator will effect angular displacements of the vanes, and means permitting an axial displacement of the actuator along the shaft.

4. In a shutter, a fixed pivot pin, a shutter vane hinged to said pin for displacement- I about the pin axis, an actuator member mounted for rotation about an axis transverse to the axis of said pin, an actuator arm extending radially from said member and mounted for longitudinal reci rocation and axial rotation, and means inc uding a balland-socket joint connecting an extremity of said arm with a point of said vane spaced from the pivotal axis thereof.

5. In a radiator shutter, a spider having a hub and similarly disposed radial arms, shutter vanes pivoted to said arms for hinged movement, a shaft journalled in said hub and extending through the radiator, an actuator carried on said shaft for rotation therewith and operative b and upon a rotation of the shaft to varia 1y dispose said vanes with respect to said radiator, and means for rotating said shaft from the opposite side of the radlator from said spider.

In testimony whereof, I aflix msignatura WILLIAM H. URKE. 

